Afternoon Breakfast at Brasserie Bread

Lazy breakfasts are my absolute favourite. Especially when they’re so lazy that they happen past noon. Hey, it’s still my first meal of the day, it counts right?

It definitely seems like half of south-east Sydney shares my belief in afternoon breakfast when we decide to pay a visit to Brasserie Bread one Sunday. There is a massive queue to the cafe, and the waitress is apologetic – “It always gets this busy around this time, maybe next time try come before noon?”

Luckily, us afternoon breakfasters are a lazy and patient bunch – we’re happy to wait!

Brasserie Bread lives in a refurbished warehouse. There’s the shop out the front where you can buy their amazing bread made on premises, and a cavernous cafe out the back that is bursting at the seams with families and their kids. While waiting in line I learn about their free kids baking classes that run every Saturday at 10am and 12pm. Wow. Do you reckon I can pass as an under 12?? (if you are my friend please don’t answer that).

If you think the chance of free babysitting while you rest your feet and enjoy a brioche would be popular, you would be right! According to the Brasserie Bread website, the kids classes are fully booked right until the end of 2011! (bookings for 2012 will open again in October 2011 – so parents, get ready!)

While in line for the cafe, we get to check out the merch. The cafe has helpfully lined up their entire range of artisanal loaves on a table to facilitate such ogling, with a tag stuck into each for identification. As our table gets called, I give the Quinoa and Soya Sourdough loaf a final ogle. I’ll be back for you later!

Now to the food – despite having all that time in the queue to decide, I have SUCH a hard time deciding what to get. The only problem with 1pm breakfast is that you’re so hungry, everything you read sounds just as amazing as everything else. We go for two of their signature dishes – the Croque Monsieur and sourdough pancakes. Orders are placed at the counter.

I don’t usually drink coffee, but the smell is so strong and tantalising I give in. Brasserie Bread serve Allpress coffee, which I drank a lot of at the hippie vegie cafe next to my old job in St Leonards. But I have to admit I don’t remember it tasting quite this good.

My Croque Monsieur arrives first – draped in a perfectly runny sunny side up egg (my memory of Madame Hilmer’s Year 7 French class comes back to me and tells me that this variant is known as a Croque Madame). The wonderfully crispy grilled sourdough is filled with finely shaved leg ham, wilted rocket and melted gruyere cheese. YUM.

Next to come is J’s Sourdough Pancakes, with Banana and maple syrup. WOW. Immediately I’m overcome with dish envy. Because he is a nice person, we share our dishes.

Knowing that bananas are priced about as highly as gold these days, I’m impressed that half a banana goes into this dish, with no price difference to the Stewed Berry variant (both pancake dishes are $14). This is possibly one of the nicest pancake dishes I’ve eaten… the pancakes are wonderfully light and fluffy, and soaks up the maple syrup deliciously.

Next time I go back, I definitely want to try the slow roasted pork shoulder with sweet potato hash – but honestly I might go for those pancakes again! And the couple next to us who order the bread basket – which gives them a selection of all different toasts to try together with a selection of preserves – look extremely happy with their choice.

On the way out, I pick up my Quinoa loaf and get it sliced right there (workday brekkie for the rest of the week!), and a garlic loaf – which is stuffed full of whole caramelised garlic cloves…. too amazing. I’ll definitely be back!! (maybe a little bit earlier next time)

Brasserie Bread
1737 Botany Rd
Banksmeadow
NSW 2019

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri – 7.00am to 3.00pm
Sat-Sun – 8.00am to 2.00pm

Twitter: brasseriebread

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